As a student-run organization at San José State, the Newman Center Catholic Campus Ministry promotes not only the importance of devoting oneself to religion, but the value of community and friendship.
The Newman Center was founded in 2011 and is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of San José, according to its Facebook.
Students, who are part of the SJSU Newman Catholic Student Association, devote their time to sharing their faith with fellow students, alumni and faculty, according to the same site.
Lily Cabello, animation sophomore and public relations officer at Newman, said the facility aims to offer an open and welcoming space for those who have trouble finding a community in college.
“We are open to both Catholics and non-Catholics, so if you are looking to just learn about the faith, make friends, study or hang out, we are the place for that,” Cabello said. “We want to help people build friendships and feel comfortable.”
Cabello said she also spends a lot of time at the center, which gives her the chance to build new connections while also meeting with other officers to plan upcoming events.
The Newman Center has numerous collaborative events throughout the year, according to its website. During an event called “Lock In,” members stay over at the facility and have an opportunity to get closer to one another, according to the same site.
During the Spring Retreat, members also engage in talks and activities around a theme selected by the officers at a retreat center, also according to the Newman Center website.
Cabello said having events and bonding with members, friends and family is one of her favorite things about being a part of the center.
“I really love being able to grow and contribute to a place that people enjoy,” Cabello said. “It makes my heart happy seeing everyone having fun and growing in their faith.”
Pauly Pimentel, kinesiology teacher-prep senior and member of the Newman Center, said his connections with others at the center has kept him frequenting the center for the past four years.
“During my freshman year, everything was on Zoom because of the pandemic,” Pimentel said. “I was looking for a way to meet people since I was stuck at home, and (the Newman Center) had Zoom meetings that year, so it was a great way for me to connect with others who shared the same beliefs as me.”
Pimentel also said he has become more social with others at SJSU because of his time and participation at the center.
“I probably wouldn’t have been able to talk to other people on campus had I not joined (the Newman Center),” Pimentel said.
The center holds Mass at 5:15 p.m. Monday through Friday, and at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays, according to its website.
Mass is the Church's way of fulfilling Christ's command at the Last Supper, and has always been the central form of Catholic worship, according to Learn Religions, a faith and religion-based publication.
Pimentel said before Mass, there is a form of worship called “adoration.”
“Adoration is a moment of silence for worshippers and adorers to be in the presence of God,” Pimentel said. “After that, we have a sacrament, which is where people who feel the need to confess their sins.”
Newman also has rosary at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, which is a long prayer through the intercession of Mother Mary to give prayers to the Lord, according to its website.
On Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., Catholic Talks take place, where Catholics and non-Catholics come together to discuss a variety of topics within Catholicism.
Rachel Xalxo, aerospace engineering junior and former public relations officer at the Newman Center, said she joined because she needed to be with people who shared the same faith as her.
“One of the reasons I still attend is because of all the Catholics who are there, as well as the non-Catholics who are discerning becoming Catholic,” Xalxo said. “It was such a ‘Yes, I finally found it’ moment when I entered freshman year.”
Among those in the Bay Area who reported they are affiliated with a religion, 26% of those surveyed reported they are Catholic, while Protestants, both mainline and evangelical, made up 23% of those surveyed, according to a March 16, 2015 article from CBS.
Ten percent of those surveyed reported they belong to a non-Christian religion, while 4% reported they were Jewish, 2% reported they were Muslim, 2% were Buddhist and another 2% were classified among an “other religion,” category according to the same website.
Joshua Milstead, engineering technology and business sophomore and Newman treasurer, said the retreat influenced him to become an officer.
“The retreat, which happened off-campus during the spring semester last year, really inspired me to both serve my community and serve God,” Milstead said.
Milstead said one of the main goals of the center is to create a safe space where people can be themselves.
“Our second main goal is to grow in faith together, and for our members to encounter Christ,” Milstead said. “Both goals shape our club as a whole.”
Milstead also said he has made lifelong bonds and deep connections with the people at the center, which he loves.
“I get to have such deep conversations with them that I don’t usually have with other people in my classes,” Milstead said. “It’s not just friendship, it’s love.”
